Item not as described, what now?

mikey72

Caryne wrote: »

All I've tried to do is make the point that with low cost items, that are incorrectly described/faulty, PayPal are not very helpful as they will expect you to cover the cost of tracked return postage that can often cost as much (or even more) than the cost of the item. It is not a question of being right or wrong as it was a point I was attempting to make so that other people are aware that it happens.

End of story.

You'll find a lot of sellers on here. Then again, if it's not what you expected and just a cheap piece of worn out junk, maybe that's why some buyers claim item not received falsely, as many sellers would have you believe. Then again, did you recieve what you paid for?

Crowqueen

Then again, did you recieve what you paid for?

Well, not really - OP seems to be fed up of receiving stuff that is not as described - that's the whole point she's trying to make.

Caryne

Crowqueen wrote: »

Then again, did you recieve what you paid for?

Well, not really - OP seems to be fed up of receiving stuff that is not as described - that's the whole point she's trying to make.

Yes, that is exactly the point that was being made. In the past honest sellers have repaid me my return postage when I have pointed out to them the item isn't exactly as described. However, more and more these days they just won't and this is the problem I was trying to make known to people.

I do not buy 'cheap tat' and then complain when I get 'what I paid for' but I often buy secondhand records and books and some are simply fit only for the bin when they have been described as 'Mint' or 'As New'. These items are not usually expensive but they are not 'cheap tat'. However, the problem is they can be heavy and to send them back, recorded delivery which PayPal insist on, can often cost as much (and sometimes more) than they cost in the first place.

It is good to hear that Ebay in the USA are looking to deal with these return postage issues and hopefully it will happen here soon, that will solve the ebay problem though, not sadly, other 'online marketplaces'.

I think my main mistake here was to think this thread was for helping people who had problems with returns involving PayPal, I was trying to add something I thought would be useful information to think about but ,obviously, there are sellers here who are coming at it from a different angle.

mikey72

Crowqueen wrote: »

Then again, did you recieve what you paid for?

Well, not really - OP seems to be fed up of receiving stuff that is not as described - that's the whole point she's trying to make.

And some people could also said it was an "item not recieved", if they didn't recieve what they paid for. A box of tat isn't going to be their problem then. Good job buyers are honest, if the sellers aren't.

*cake*

Sorry for the slow reply, I was away last week!

Thanks for your replies. :j

I asked the seller politely again if she would cover the return expenses (cheapest return I could find is £4.99) since it was her mistake, and she replied "I know it was expensive to send, I only charged you £4 for postage but I paid quite a lot more. Regarding my mistake I put size 10/12 instead of 11/12 but I gave a bust measurement in the auction which should have helped out. As soon as you return it I will reimburse you."

Well, it cost her a bit over £5 to send it to me in the first place (so a bit more than the £4 she charged), not sure how this is relevant though, it was her own decision.. And that she stated the bust measurement is quite irrelevant too, because the problem with coat being kids size (11/12 years) instead of womens size (10/12) is that the arms are way too short (the bust is fine)! I can't tell from her message if she's planning on reimbrusing the return shipping or just the original cost of the coat + shipping.. Hmm..

Is there any point in opening a SNAD case? How do you know if eBay will cover return shipping if you do this? Any experiences? Never had to open a case before.
Maybe I should just return the item without opening a case and just accept losing out on return postage?

Sigh, last few weeks have not been fortunate when it comes to eBay. Apart from this issue, I'm still waiting on a dress I won and paid for over 2 weeks ago, and the seller hasn't even replied to my message asking if the dress is on its way. And I also received an item listed as "no stains or marks" with several stains/marks that didn't wash off. And I usually don't have problems buying off eBay.

Crowqueen

I think the best way to do this is return the item tracked without opening a dispute. Keep the paperwork.

I know a snotty message can put your back up (I've been bouncing backhanded apologies from other people lately and it takes a lot to resist sending a snotty reply back...!) but sending it tracked, you will still have evidence that it has been returned if the seller tries to do one over on you and you might, at the moment while she is still nominally on your side, get your return postage as well.

Certainly if you fail to get anything out of her, then raise the dispute.

This way you gamble on getting a better result from the seller than on eBay giving you a return label/postage credit - and I think the seller is the better bet right now than that is.

I've just remarked on another thread that the only things I buy on eBay are the things it is well nigh impossible to get wrong - books, memorabilia, etc. I do buy the odd blouse, but I have to say I would never buy something like this online because of this sort of situation. Businesses have less motivation to do this sort of thing but I can see the allure of items from private sellers as they also have to price things at sensible prices and can't often afford to give stuff away.

If it helps there is a good seller of designer gear who regularly posts on the official forums. Look her up - it'll be obvious who she is - she would probably be mortified if there were a problem. Her prices seem a little high but I suspect they do represent quality.

There are plenty of cheap places on the high street though which trump many eBay bargains for people who aren't bothered about fashion (if I could wear books, I would...!).

hermum

I would use Collect+ it should go for £3.99 as it's under 2kg if it's in a bag.
It's such a difficult one, if Paypal do insist on sellers refunding returns when the seller's listed something incorrectly, there will be no way of them checking it. Buyers will then be able to buy something, wear it & then return it.
I know that isn't what's happened in your case.
I must be lucky as I've only ever had a couple of issues with clothing & all my clothes come from ebay, generally private sellers.
I did buy a suit listed in VGC, that was only fit for the bin. It was dirty & the fabric had been pulled out in lots of places. The seller eventually refunded, without me returning, so she must have known she was trying it on.
My main issue is when something, whether clothing or something else, has been kept in a kitchen & you can smell stale food, especially chip fat. After a couple of goes in the machine the smell goes though.
It's a shame that there are dodgy sellers as it puts other people buying. Good for me as a buyer, as I do get some great bargains.
Back to your problem, send it back collect+ if she doesn't refund the original cost, then open a dispute.
If she refunds but refuses to refund the return postage make sure you leave appropriate FB & stars.

*cake*

Thanks for your replies Crowqueen and hermum.

I just sent the seller a polite message asking for the address so I can return the coat. So I'll stick to your advice. Will see what the outcome is soon I guess.

hermum>> Doesn't sound pleasant receiving something smelling of stale food! Luckily never had that, but the occassional smoke-smelling garment. Luckily I've managed to wash it out every time.
I'm gonna try and use Collect+ as you recommended, it delivers to the door of the person I send it to, right? I noticed there's a drop off point not too far away from where I live, so it seems convenient for me at least. I think I'll have to send it as a £4.99 package instead of the £3.99 jiffy bag. It's a really big/thick coat, I just can't see it fitting into a jiffy bag. And it certainly doesn't fit into any of the ones I have at home. So I might as well just put it into a spare box (got many lying around) and pay the extra pound instead of going out hunting for some gigantic jiffy bag that will probably cost me a pound too. Do I pay online for delivery or when I get to the shop? Do I have to create an account to be able to use the Collect+ service?

Crowqueen>> "if I could wear books, I would...!" <-- haha!
I buy a lot of different things on eBay (clothes, dvds, books, bric-a-brac, etc), and it's not often I've encountered problems. I actually like buying clothes off there because I like vintage and quirky clothing, which is hard to find on the highstreet. Sometimes I also find clothes I had an eye on in a shop years before but didn't buy, and it's nice to get them at a bargain price. Sometimes when I go into the high street clothing shops I just tend to lose any urge to buy clothes because it's all just current trends (and a lot of the time those trends are not my taste whatsoever) and even if I do find something nice it kind of loses its appeal because it's surrounded by all those hideous "fad-at-the-moment" garments and the horrible dance floor music they tend to play.

hermum

With collect + it gets delivered to the house of the recipient. I'd stick it in a bin bag, I don't know if there's a size restriction or just a weight, it will tell you online.
You need to book & pay online I always pay by Paypal & print off the label, if you don't have a printer, hopefully you have a library close by, ours charge 10p I think for a printout.
I'll continue to use ebay for clothing, it allows me to buy things that I wouldn't be able to afford new & I don't do shops anyway.
I hope that you get your return p&p refunded.

*cake*

hermum wrote: »

With collect + it gets delivered to the house of the recipient. I'd stick it in a bin bag, I don't know if there's a size restriction or just a weight, it will tell you online.
You need to book & pay online I always pay by Paypal & print off the label, if you don't have a printer, hopefully you have a library close by, ours charge 10p I think for a printout.
I'll continue to use ebay for clothing, it allows me to buy things that I wouldn't be able to afford new & I don't do shops anyway.
I hope that you get your return p&p refunded.

Thanks very much! Sounds smooth and easy, got a printer at home so that's fine. Thanks for the bin bag advice too, that will probably do, and save me a pound.